Australia Wants to Replace Passports With Facial Recognition Technology by 2020
No passport? No problem! At least that's the hope for the future of Australia's airports, which, as part of a massive high-tech overhaul, are hoping to automate 90 percent of air travel processing procedures using biometric technology by 2020, replacing paper passports with facial, iris and/or fingerprint recognition devices.
It's a tall order to be sure but, as The Guardian reports, the country's Department of Immigration and Border Protection has already taken steps toward building a "contactless" system that could revolutionize — and expedite — the airport experience.
The announcement comes as part of the Seamless Traveller initiative, a $100 million project that was announced back in 2015 with the goal of "transform[ing] the border experience" over a five-year period. The implementation of biometric technology — the most ambitious part of the plan — would allow travelers flying into any of Australia's airports to be cleared for entry into the country at a high-tech kiosk that would identify them via facial, iris or fingerprint recognition technology — no paperwork, or human agents, required.
The one big hurdle? The Australian government isn't yet sure exactly how to accomplish this, so they're still looking for ideas. Still, even without a firm solution in mind, the department seems confident it'll be ready to begin testing the technology later this summer, planning to introduce the technology on a small scale at Canberra Airport (CBR), which services limited flights to and from Singapore and Wellington, in July. By November, the new tech could even find its way to a major airport — possibly Sydney (SYD) or Melbourne (MEL) — and by March of 2019, the rollout would be complete.
Hey, if it means getting through security and to the beach faster, we're all for it.
H/T: The Guardian
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
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| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
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Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month